


A UNIT Bond

by unwillingadventurer



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 00:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13088313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwillingadventurer/pseuds/unwillingadventurer
Summary: Ian and Barbara attend the UNIT Christmas Party.





	A UNIT Bond

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a Christmas present for a friend.

Ian placed Barbara’s coat around her shoulders and then helped put their son John’s seatbelt on in the back of the car.

Barbara fiddled around in her handbag. “Oh, did you remember the bottle of wine? I’d be awfully embarrassed if we didn’t bring anything.”

Ian peered in at the backseat next to John and saw it snuggled up beside their son who was now belted up and eager to go.

“Wine’s ready. I’m ready. You ready for the off little champ?” Ian said as he ruffled his son’s hair.

Barbara laughed as she and Ian got in the car and saw their young son raise his hands in the air. “Yay!”

“Just don’t drink the wine eh Johnny?” Ian said.

Barbara slapped him playfully on the arm. “Don’t give him any ideas.”

“I suppose he might take after you, like a bit of a drink.”

Ian waited for her to playfully strike him again but she just folded her arms. “I don’t think you should talk to me that way when I’m dressed like this. My costume character certainly wouldn’t accept such a comment.”

“Your costume is covered by your coat so it doesn’t get an opinion yet, and why haven’t you got your wig on either?”

“I thought I’d put it on when we got there.”

…

Party music greeted then as soon as they arrived at the town hall which was rented out for many of UNIT’s functions, and Christmas time was one occasion when the organisation went all out and held a fancy-dress event. Of course, the guest list was strict and the Chesterton’s were very pleased to be invited after their hard work with the establishment the previous year.

The Brigadier had to be persuaded year upon year to participate but everyone knew he secretly enjoyed the festivities and that he had never missed a single one.

After authorisation at the door they walked inside, and Barbara placed her wig on her head. The hall in front of them was transformed into a winter wonderland with fake snow and Christmas trees and all sorts of beautiful decorations. John didn’t know where to look, his eyes in a constant state of wonder.

As Ian hung up their coats, Jo arrived to greet Barbara and smiled warmly.

“Hi Barbara,” she said hugging her tightly and then also hugging Ian as he joined them. “Hi Ian.” She leaned down to little John and handed him a candy cane. “Here you are darling, and don’t you look gorgeous?”

She looked at the teachers. “Your costumes are fabulous. Let me guess…Cleopatra and James Bond…and even a mini James Bond. What a lovely family you are.”

Ian was about to respond to mermaid Jo when she was pulled away dramatically by Benton and Yates who were dressed as sailors. Ian couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Jo unable to walk with her costume tail and practically being lifted by the men. He watched them leave but wondered why they seemed so very serious, whispering to one another and looking behind them before they shut the door.

“That was a bit strange,” Barbara said.

Ian scratched his chin. “Bit suspicious how she got called away just like that. Perhaps It’s a job for James Bond himself.”

Barbara laughed. “Would you like me to join you on this investigation, Bond?”

Ian kissed her hand. “My new Bond girl, Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile.”

“I think I can find time to rule an ancient land as well as helping you spy on someone.”

“Who can we leave John with?”

They both looked around the room and then saw him at the same time. “Brigadier!”

…

Barbara smiled, glancing at John as he sat next to the Brigadier at one of the tables. She wasn’t really sure why she and Ian had decided to play spies, but with a little wine inside her, and dressed like a Queen, she felt like she could achieve anything.

Ian meanwhile was watching Jo and Yates in a deep serious discussion by the exit door, having returned as quietly as they’d left. Whether they were going to the buffet table or to mingle, they kept meeting up and whispering dramatically at one another.

“That’s peculiar,” Barbara said, watching as Benton joined the couple and handed Jo a piece of paper.

“Something extra-terrestrial, you think?” Ian asked, leaning in close to his wife.

Barbara’s eyes rolled upwards. “Oh yes, well done, Bond. Aliens and UNIT, I wonder why my mind didn’t go straight to it!”

“Alright, alright, ask a silly question.”

At that moment, a waiter passed them carrying a tray of drinks and Barbara quickly grabbed each of them one, handing one to her husband.

“Here you go,” she said.

“Thank you. I hope it’s shaken, not stirred.”

“Oh Ian!” She ignored his satisfied smile and fiddled with her gold-looking headdress. “It’s fine being Cleopatra but all this fake gold is very uncomfortable. Top to toe, gold everywhere.”

Ian smiled. “Especially on that gold finger!”

“As Queen of the Nile it’s easy for me to have you escorted from the premises. Anyway, whilst you’ve been making bad jokes, I’ve been paying attention and something is definitely wrong. Our friends have gone again, almost vanished into thin air.”

“Shall we take a look…access all areas?”

Barbara nodded, grabbed his arm and they discreetly disappeared behind the double doors that led to the kitchens.

“Where did they all get to? Do you think the Brigadier’s been informed and what was on that paper?” Ian said.

Barbara peered back around the door and spied another UNIT officer playing with some toys with John at the table. “The Brigadier’s gone too and John appears to have a new playmate. Look, perhaps its not our place to get involved.”

Ian smiled. “Might be interfering in something best left alone eh?”

Barbara grinned. “Well, I suppose some things work out for the best by knowing the details, and besides as Queen of the Nile its my right to be informed of possible danger. After you, Bond.”

…

It had been a long time since the Chesterton’s had done any detective work and so they found themselves clinging onto each other just like old times. They decided to sneak behind the scenes and see if they could find out what was going on, realising that wandering the corridors reminded them of their time on the space-ship where they encountered the Sensorites. Unlike then however, they spotted the Brigadier lurking suspiciously and followed him to a room where he, Jo, Benton, Yates and two other UNIT employees disappeared inside and locked the door. There was a glass panel above the top of the door and so they couldn’t reach the window to see what was happening.

“Well we could knock on the door and ask?” Barbara reasoned.

“And be asked to leave before we find out anything juicy? No, we’ll have to use our spying skills and look in?”

“Spying skills?”

“You climb on my back and we’ll look through that glass. See if you can take a peek at any top-secret files.”

Barbara looked at Ian and sighed. “I don’t think I can climb on your back in this outfit. We’ll just have to look around in another room, gather some evidence of our own.”

“Room 007?”

“Ian, if you don’t be quiet I’ll make sure this Bond adventure is your last.”

…

They made their way into the adjourning room, which was completely dark, bar a small opening coming in from behind a slightly open curtain. Crashing in to each other, they made it priority number one to find a light switch. Barbara found it after several minutes feeling along the walls in the black.

She jumped back in surprise when the light returned, not realising Ian had been standing quite so close.

“Thank god for that,” Ian said, before quickly drawing their attention back to the door in the centre which was adjacent to the mysterious room they wanted to get inside.

Barbara paused for a moment. “Do you think we’re being silly, is it really our place to get involved?”

Ian hesitated for a brief minute. He adjusted his bow-tie and sighed. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’ve just missed it.”

“Me too,” Barbara said softly, giving her husband a sympathetic smile, “oh Ian, are we pathetic?”

Ian pulled her close to him and cuddled her tightly, wrapping his arms around her. Whenever she was in his arms it felt as if everything was alright in the world.

He smiled. “I’m afraid we are pathetic, Barbara, but I still love you. And I still want to know what’s going on. I mean, we’re only human after all.”

She bit her lip with excitement and they raced to the door, crouching down and then slowly rising and peering through the glass like two excited children. Through the pane of glass, the Brigadier and his team appeared to be crowded around a table reading over some papers.

“Damn, we still can’t hear,” Ian said, clicking his fingers in defeat.

“Really? I thought you’d have a gadget for every probability?”

Ian smirked. “Not in this particular suit.”

“Wait a minute,” Barbara said as she pulled a ladder away from the wall near them, “there’s a vent here, I can make out words.”

Ian rubbed her back as she climbed up the ladder. “Well done Miss Moneypenny! But I thought you couldn’t move in that outfit.”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures!” She balanced on the top rung of the ladder and listened carefully. Silence.

“Well, what are they saying?” Ian whispered.

Barbara sighed and whispered back. “Well, I don’t know. I missed it because you were asking what they were saying.”

“Sorry, go ahead.”

She listened carefully once more and then gasped.

“What is it?!” Ian asked.

“Can you see the Brigadier? He’s talking about the top-secret mission going according to plan.”

“And?”

“Well, Yates just said that plan to get them away was in full swing.”

“Get who away?”

“Jo is saying something about how they can’t reveal anything until he arrives.”

“Who’s he?”

“Well, I don’t know Ian. They’re just saying it like that. You don’t have to repeat my findings.”

“Its not the Master is it?” Ian shuddered at the thought.

“Now they’re talking about something called code…code…Oh I can’t hear its… Satan maybe?” But as Barbara struggled to lean in to listen, she fell off the step and went tumbling right into Ian Chesterton’s arms.

“Hear anything on the fall down, Cleo?” Ian said as he placed Barbara firmly on the ground.

She straightened herself out. “Oh, it’s no use, Ian. Maybe we’re not cut out for this. All I could get was there’s an operation under way right now and that the aliens or whatever are being escorted or something and well…they can’t announce it until some official arrives maybe?”

“Good assumptions, Barbara,” Ian said rubbing his chin. “Let’s go and check on John and then we can have a think about what our action plan is. If UNIT needs our help than we have to do what we can.”

“I agree.”

…

Arriving back at the main function hall, the Chesterton’s were shocked to find the room was empty except the grand Christmas tree and all the decorations laid out. Everything was as it was left- food half-eaten, wine left in glasses, streamers strewn across the floor.

“What happened?” Barbara said. “Was everyone evacuated whilst we were snooping?”

“Or worse…Barbara what if they were taken?”

“Taken, by whom?”

“By whatever thing the team have supposedly under control. What if he’s got them too?”

“Ian? Where’s John?”

Barbara felt she was going to crumble to the ground at the thought of John being snatched from her and Ian was ready to kill whoever had a hold of his son. They were looking around them, spinning around, surveying every area of the room when suddenly the doors sprung open and a man wearing a Father Christmas outfit entered the area carrying a small and gleeful boy in his arms.

“John!” Ian and Barbara cried in joyful unison.

“Mummy, Daddy, I’ve met Father Christmas!”

“So we can see!” Barbara said, half-excited for him and half surprised by the strange guest.

Ian leaned in to Barbara and whispered. “Who is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ah there you two are,” Father Christmas said with a deep and gravelly voice as he settled John on the floor. “My good friends at UNIT have kindly allowed us a few moments.”

“The Master?” Ian said, staring horrified at the man and pushing Barbara and John behind him.

The man laughed. “Oh, no, no, he’s not popped up yet. He hates Christmas, avoids it at all costs. Can’t say I blame him entirely, what chap of our level of intellect doesn’t? Well, anyway, merry Christmas Chesterton’s, or should I say Chesterton, Ian Chesterton? You know some say I was the inspiration for 007. And ah the brilliant Cleopatra. I met her once you know, the real one of course.” He kissed Barbara’s hand. “You make a charming replacement, my dear.”

“Sorry, who are you?” Ian said, yanking the beard away and pulling off the santa hat.

“Why it’s me!” He sounded offended.

“You’re not…the Doctor?” Barbara could barely say the words. She’d known from UNIT that he’d changed but she wasn’t quite sure what she expected him to look like.

“Doctor, it’s you, here for Christmas?” she said.

“It is, my dear. Why don’t we all have a nice glass of wine?” He called in the other guests and the room flocked with all the party-goers from before.

“We got you!” Jo shrieked as she joined them and kissed Ian, leaving a big lipstick mark on his cheek.

“You mean this was all planned?” Ian said.

“We knew you’d be curious,” Yates said. “But we wanted to keep the Doctor a surprise so we kept it hush hush.”

Barbara laughed. “Oh I do feel silly. Ian and I were running about playing Bond and Cleo.”

“Just as it should be. If you hadn’t had followed Susan, we’d never have met,” the Doctor said, shaking hands with Ian.

Benton held out his hand to Barbara. “Care to dance Mrs. Chesterton?”

“Oh, I’d love to Sergeant.”

Ian watched as Barbara went to boogie with Benton and then took Jo’s hand. The Doctor scooped John onto his knee and they sat and watched the festivities.

Yates winked at the Brigadier. “Fancy a dance, Brigadier?”

“Buy me a drink first, Yates, and we’ll talk about it.”


End file.
